In her, I trust
by ENECON
Summary: Shepard had found the love of her life again, only to find out that Cerberus had gotten to her first. Was Kelly the same chirpy girl Shepard fell in love with? Or was she just another Cerberus puppet made to manipulate and turn her against her friends? Shepard must choose where loyalty lies. Slight AU ME3 FemShep/Kelly
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

In the silent hallways of the Citadel apartment complex, Eruvian Tor stood before his home calm and collected as always, though what he felt inside was anything but. As a turian he was taught from childhood not to fear, to remain stoic and level headed no matter the situation. Within the game they called 'war' losing any of these features was equivalent to raising an invisible white flag that no one but death itself could see. The height of battle was his joy, the adrenaline rushing through his veins his life.

But ever since he had joined the ranks of the diplomats, the times where he would join his brothers and sisters in battle have lessened considerably. He was starting to forget things, minor but important details of the war: The sound of grenades hovering through the sky; The directions he needed to swerve in order to dodge that one bullet that would be his fast-tickets to the ranks of the Spirits; The vital seconds of opportunities that will decide the outcome of the entire battle. He couldn't even remember the sensation of a gun weighing on his arms. They were fading from his memories, becoming dulled to his senses, an antistatic being applied to him ever so slowly, a drop at a time.

Despite this though, even as all his talents and skills seeped out of him like a bottle slowly leaking from its pin sized hole, it would be long before he lost his touch with the soldier inside him. He still could tell when he was being watched, when he was being followed. And right now, yes, he was definitely being followed.

This wasn't the amateur skills of a stalker-ish paparazzi who couldn't hear their own footstep if they were wearing tap-shoes inside an echoing hallway, or of those who bathed in their own delusions that their often too wide figure could hide behind a foot wide lamp post. No, this was far more cunning, more skilled and experienced. This was a work of a trained professional. A _military_ trained professional.

It was subtle at first, so much so that Eruvian doubted that even if he was still a soldier in active duty he would have been able to notice. There were moments in the past months when he would simply stop as though jumping at the sudden pin prick of a bug's bite, suddenly realizing the voice at the back of his mind was shouting, screaming like a madman behind a jail cell, trying to tell him something, to warn him. He would often stop to scan his surrounding, look at each individual around him, every building, behind every plants and corner, and he would frown when he couldn't decipher any oddities anywhere. But the uncomfortable feelings remained, as though a foul, festering glob of sludge was squirming at the pit of his stomach.

Eventually, however, he would let it go. Despite feeling as though the whole world was snickering behind his back, Eruvian couldn't dwell on the notion without any solid proof. There were much more important matters that required his attention. Every time, he ignored the sensation, brushing it off as nothing more than his senses acting up due to his long absence from a good gun fight. And every time he believed his own words that it was, stomping down on his on instincts until they were numbed to his own soul.

That is, until now.

Compared to the times before, when the presence following Eruvian felt like an ant shuffling at the corner of his eyes, what he felt now was comparable to a colossal sized quire singing before him the human's religious hymn of 'Hallelujah.' His follower was flaunting their presence to him like a child bragging about his new toy. Yet, despite how obvious their presence was, or how much he searched, Eruvian could not locate his follower. His follower was toying with him.

Anger surged from his guts, a primal anger born as an instinctive defense against his rising fears. There was only one reason why his stalker would be exposing themselves to him: it was the last day they could enjoy his frustration, his suffering. After today, their job would be done. And so would he. So why not play with the mouse before sinking their teeth in its throat?

Sadistic bastards.

Eruvian was egotistical and a bit of a bragger if he had to admit, but he wasn't delusional. He knew he wasn't going to survive the night. Not with his skills. Running away now would be pointless. But the thought wasn't even in his mind at the moment. He had to act fast, make sure his wife will be okay after his death, pass his work down to those who were able, make sure he didn't die for nothing. And perhaps then, he might be able to confront his follower, his assassin as a true turian should: face death head on, and die gloriously in battle, struggling till his last breathe for victory.

_Yes_, Eruvian thought to himself. _That would be good._

With that last thought, the turian diplomat immediately went to action.

With a swift flick of his hand, Eruvian opened the door to his apartment and sauntered into his home for the past five years with firm determination. The moment he walked in he was greeted by the form of his wife, a beautiful human whose long titanium blonde hair and jewel like green eyes captured his heart from the moment they met. She was placing dinner on the table just in time for his arrival, just as always.

Four months they've been married with each other. It was so short, he wished he had more time if only enough to let him tell her how much he loved her. A sense of solemn regret escaped the turian's heart as fast as it came. Ignoring his wife's warm welcome he turned to his study and stomped his way to his computer where he immediately began packing all the files he had collected over the past years into a single folder.

"Ruvi?" Elizabeth Palmer-Tor entered the study confused, uncertainty marring her smooth lilting voice. "Is something the matter?"

For a moment Eruvian ignored her, far more focused on the work at hand. But soon his emotions got the better of him and he began speaking. "I messed up, Eli." He said simply, neither his tone nor expression betraying the urgency he felt. Being his wife though, the blonde woman felt it in her gut that something was direly wrong. "I should have been more discrete. They've hired a hitman on me. And the job will be finished by the end of today."

Elizabeth stood wide-eyed, absolutely stunned at what she had been just told. Her mind reeled at the information. Was this a joke? Someone had hired a hitman on her husband? He's going to be _killed_? "Wait, Ruvi." She spoke, her voice breaking with shock. "I don't understand what you're saying. Why would anyone want to... to _kill _you? You're just an ordinary diplomat."

"_Just _a diplomat? That hurts, Eli." Eruvian said with a light chuckle. _Jokes in such a situation Eruvian? You're wife's turning you into another regular cocky human._

"That isn't funny Eruvian!" Elizabeth spoke in a panic ridden tone, beads of tears now flowing down her cheeks.

"Isn't it? Well, I guess I still have much to learn about humans." Eruvian gave a small pause as another wave of regret consumed his form. "A shame that I won't live long enough to do so."

A cry escaped Elizabeth at his words, but Eruvian ignored it and began explaining in his usual stoic tone, "I'm not _just _an ordinary diplomat Eli. I've been running a solo mission to dig up information regarding a terrorist organization. Bunch of xenophobic bastards running live experiments on captured turians, asari, krogan, just about anything that's not human."

"Cerberus." Elizabeth finished, a dark shadow clouding over her tear stained face.

"Yes." Eruvian confirmed somberly. "I know I talked about them to you like they were just bunch of lowly pirates who hate 'aliens' but the truth is they are so much bigger than that. It took me years to figure it out, to link the facts together, but I did it in the end. I've figured out why no one could pin them down before: They've been pulling strings within the Citadel. They got influences in high places." Eruvian dismissively waved his hands towards the screen. "These files. They're not everything that I needed and I'm sure there are far more things that can be dug up, but this is a starting point. A bit more into this and it could bring down the whole of Cerberus in a single shot." Eruvian confirmed the file's attachment onto the mail and clicked on the send button, prompting the loading bar to pop up. The enormous amount of data dropped the loading rate to a snail's pace.

Three minutes. Good enough.

Eruvian left the loading bar going and moved to his wife. He placed one hand on her arm and the other on her chin and tilted her head until their eyes met. The green pair of orbs twinkled under the room's lights. Despite the tears washing over them, her eyes were the most beautiful things Eruvian had ever seen in his entire life. "You need to go."

"No." Elizabeth sobbed.

"Yes." The turian nodded. "Pack your things. Take the car, and get to C-Sec. The hitman won't come after you. I'll stall them as long as I can."

Moving quickly, Eruvian made for the bookshelf that covered the entire one side of his study. Standing before the left most shelves he haphazardly threw the books down and removed the wooden board on the back to reveal the hidden safe behind it. Hastily he punched in the code and opened the safe. Reaching inside, he pulled out the first thing he laid his hand on and returned to his wife to push it into her hands.

"Take this with you." He said hurriedly.

Elizabeth blinked her tear blurred eyes clear to see what her husband had given her. A small gasp escaped her when she saw the large gun inside her hand. She looked up at Eruvian and shook her head, her fears swallowing up her words before she could speak them out loud.

"It's okay." Eruvian reassured her, grabbing the gun and maneuvering the woman's hands to make her hold the weapon in the correct fashion. "It's a custom pistol-shotgun hybrid my father made in his days. The only one he ever made. It's his legacy. I want you to... no, I _need _you to take it. For protection."

"I-I can't." Elizabeth shook, "I've never even held a gun before. I don't know how to use them."

"Just point and shoot, honey. The spread should compensate for your aim." He explained softly. "Besides, you probably won't even get to use it. You'll be taking the car to C-Sec, remember?"

"But-"

A melodic beep made the couple turn towards the computer. Eruvian grumbled a string of curses and got behind the computer screen to begin his work again. The mail he was sending failed. Technical issues. Of all the time for it to occur.

"What are you doing?" Elizabeth asked.

"I'm sending the data I collected to people I can trust." He replied, never taking his eyes off the screen.

"Why?" She croaked. "Are there no other copies? Can't we run away together?"

"No." Eruvian answered his regretful tone left unmasked. "Everything is on this one computer. It was stupid of me not to make a back up, but I couldn't risk these information getting leaked. If I don't get these data to someone else it wil-"

Bang.

With the loud gunshot, the turian's head suddenly snapped backwards and the body of Eruvian Tor fell over his chair, landing on to the ground with a solid thud. Dark blue blood seeped out from his mangled face and pooled onto the rug underneath.

Elizabeth Palmer-Tor watched the body of her dead husband sprawling on the floor with momentary shock, which then quickly turned into anger when she remembered how long it took her to remove the wine stains off the rugs last time. Hopefully turian blood was easier to get off than wine, but that was highly unlikely. Ugh, what a mess.

She studied the pistol in her hand with genuine curiosity as well as annoyance. She should have noted Eruvian's words better. A pistol-shotgun hybrid he said. That and the other information her husband gave her should have instantly told her that the rounds were shotgun pellets rather than regular pistol rounds which clearly left more mess than necessary when shot to the head. A push at a lever and the ammunition case inside rotated with a loud click. A rotating four-case ammunition blocks, almost like a classic revolver. Impressive.

Regardless, she really should have thought things through before she went out and scared the daylights out of the turian. Fun or not, if not for her, he probably wouldn't have been pushed to suddenly try and share the confidential Cerberus information with everyone. Not that he was ever going to succeed, though. Not after the bug she planted in his computer.

Walking around the desk, towards the screen, she made sure no mails were being sent just in case, and with a frown turned to the body once more. The bleeding hasn't seemed to have stopped yet but already the turian was lying in a small puddle that gave her the impression that it would take a bit longer cleaning off than it did for the simple wine spill. Giving a small huff, she coolly raised her hand and gently pressed the area on the side of her head, just before the ear. With a beep only she could hear, a connection was made.

"_I assume the job is done?" _The voice of her employer asked from the implanted communicator. It never seized to amaze her how the Illusive Man always seemed so laid back every time she contacted him.

"Yes sir. Eruvian Tor has been terminated." She replied casually, walking around the body to reach down at the toppled chair and set it up right before crashing down on it like a bag of sand.

"_And the data?" _He continued without missing a beat. Elizabeth tapped on the keyboard lazily for a second before replying.

"Secured. Eruvian confirmed to me that there are no other copies in existence. I shall extract the useful information and destroy the rest."

"_A shame he had to die. He was doing an excellent job of tightening our overall security with all the data he was collecting." _

"He got too close, sir. We had no choice."

"_Quite correct." _There was a silent pause followed by the distinct sound of cigarette smoke being blown out. _"Anything else to report?"_

The blonde gently kicked the body aside to give herself some more space to move around. "No, sir."

"_Then I shall have a team dispatched to clean up the body." _Another pause ensued, followed by a small fizz of fire meeting water. _"Excellent work as always, Ms Chambers. I trust you will continue to impress me in the future."_

With a quick press and a wave over her head with her omni-tool, Elizabeth Palmer-Tor disappeared from existance: the long mane of luscious blonde shriveled into neatly combed fiery red, one of her emerald green eyes fading into cold, dead blue. The skin around her face shimmered before fading away, giving it a completely different form, and the voice that came out her throat was no longer the same as before.

"Of course, sir. Anything for humanity."

Immediately the connection broke, and Kelly Chambers spun around on her chair freely, gleefully smiling over another job well done.

* * *

**A/N: The idea was "What if Kelly got caught by Cerberus before the events of ME3?" So, Plot Bunnies AWAY!**

**Please Review :D**


	2. Chapter 1

**A/N: Thank you for those who reviewed and followed this story! And to those who reviewed-**

**Guest: Thank you! I'm glad you liked it. I was hoping not many people got confused about the time line since I only mentioned it once within the story, but the prologue took place after the events of ME2, and Kelly was acting as the turian's wife for only around four months. Also, yes, Kelly is now a Cerberus agent, but whether she is indoctrinated or not, you will have to guess ;)**

**Panzar: Thanks! I was hoping to catch AT LEAST one person by surprise with that and it seems I did!**

* * *

**Chapter 1**

_I stood before the Decontamination Chamber, the intricately designed door towering before me in a less than welcoming manner. The grimy duffle bag slung lazily over my shoulder suddenly seemed to gain an extra pound, and I shifted in place to ignore the sudden pressure to the best of my ability. _

_Behind me, the Normandy slept in silence, all lights turned down to a balmy night glow, empty seats flooding the hallway. Even Joker who had rarely ever left the cockpit save for his bathroom break, was gone. _

_I sighed at the sight, a tinge of sadness tailing my breath. I didn't want to admit it but I suddenly missed the near-assaulting fluorescent light that threatened to blind me at every turn, the glaring Cerberus logos pretentiously slapped on the every wall and uniform I see. There never were many people on board the Normandy in the first place and yet, the ship looked so lonely now. Did I really get so attached? It seemed like yesterday when I was ready to twist the head off of every Cerberus related personnel. But now that my time for return has come, I felt... sad, almost hesitant to leave._

_It was unexpected, to say the least._

_I shuffled in place, rolling my shoulder as my bag's weight only seemed to multiply._

_What awaited me behind this door? No doubt Alliance has sent their officers to 'escort' me to my 'accommodation,' armed with libraries of Reaper-skeptic books, documentaries and self-rewarding propagandist posters I'm sure. They were so transparent that way. It really took a look from the outside to realize that. Hackett and Anderson both worked so hard, and what did they have to show for it? The Council was still reluctant to take actions against the Reaper threat, content, instead, to sit on their asses and brood, and the Alliance, ever the lap dog, was happy to oblige. I should be furious at them, at the Council, and yet, in truth, I was not._

_I was disappointed. _

_Though it pained me to admit, I've accomplished far more in the last six months with Cerberus than the entirety of the Council and the Alliance had in the last two and a half years of my absence. I could do so much more without them. On my own. It would be better, much more than being stuck on Earth, grounded, cut away from everything. It wasn't as though my crew was going anywhere. I'll be able to collect them, and we'll continue to prepare for the Reapers, begin a true campaign that would give us a fighting chance on the day of their arrival. The Illusive Man would certainly be willing. After all, he owed me since I allowed him to take the Collector base for himself. Cerberus would certainly be a huge asset to the coming war, and so will her crew: Garrus could help her gain turian aid, as well as Wrex, now the leader of his kind, backing me up with the krogan fleet; Mordin and his brilliance would be invaluable, Liara and her connections and information as well; Legion and the geth, Tali and the quarians, Thane, Miranda, Jacob, Zaeed and..._

_And, of course..._

_Kelly._

_Kelly will be there as well. Next to me. Always with me. Never letting go_

_I drew a shaky breath, and chuckled humorlessly as I finally admitted to myself why I was so reluctant to leave._

_Yeoman Kelly Chambers_

_My heart fluttered at her name._

_Over the course of the mission the redhead and I had gotten close. A lot closer than what I thought we would become, albeit it was far less close than what I now wanted. I've honestly never met someone like her before. My life as a soldier had limited the type of people I interacted with. Though diverse in their own right, the people of my life were ridden by their past, haunting memories that made them stronger and better than what they once were. But Kelly... There was no one I knew who was purer, brighter, and more trusting than her. The positive energy beaming out of her everyday weren't fueled by her beliefs or experience. Like the sun shining its light, she did so because she simply... was. And I was all but mesmerized by her glow. Wise and yet so innocent, unscarred by her wounds. I was so envious of her bright outlook on life, and it only drew me in further, a moth to a flame. I adored Kelly, so very much, and would have done anything to keep her by my side._

_But that was the other question. Could I be so selfish? Could I really antagonize the Council _and _the Alliance for a girl? Ugh, I didn't even know if she liked me back. I mean, we got close and all, and we flirt time to time but, she seemed to do that with lot of people, not just me. _

_Not that it mattered now. I was grounded and she was already gone along with the rest of the crew, all going our separate ways. I sighed at the bleakness of it all._

_Damn it, I should have asked her for her contacts. At least then I maybe could have stayed in touch._

_Suddenly the elevator rang a melodic chime, signaling its non-existing passengers of its arrival. I turned with a start, having not been aware anyone was still onboard. The door slid open with a loud hiss, and I couldn't help but let out a hushed gasp at what I saw: Inside the elevator stood a lone Kelly Chambers, dressed in a dark green summer dress with frills that ended midway down her thighs. The lustrous silk fabric gave out a shimmering green glow that matched her eyes so perfectly. It was as though the dress was made solely for her and her alone. I've only ever seen her in a Cerberus uniform before and needless to say, I was stunned at the sight._

_Before I knew it, Kelly was before me, her usual bright smile adorning her precious face. I had to consciously keep my hands down, suppressing the urge to caress her delicate cheeks._

"_Hey." She greeted me softly, my face heating up at her lush voice. I could only thank the dim lights for it being left unnoticed._

"_Hey." I greeted back nervously, and then gulped to soothe my suddenly dry throat. "I thought you left already?"_

_Kelly sighed tiredly, the lingering smile on her face seeming less than artificial. "I thought so too." She said waving her hand over her state of dress which clearly implied a long night out planned ahead. "But then the Alliance held me back. They told me to wait onboard until notified, which is now. I think they want to check my records again."_

_My brows furrowed at the news. It didn't sit well with me that the Alliance would trouble her like this. "Why would they do that?"_

"_Not sure." She shrugged again. "I guess they found something about me they could hold on to. I swear they're doing their hardest to incriminate us all."_

_I scoffed loudly. "Yeah, I know what you mean. Can you believe they're grounding me? I feel like I'm ten again."_

"_Are you alright?" She asked, her eyes sad as gazed upon mine. I gave a resigned sigh. She could always tell when I was feeling down._

"_Well, it could always be worse. I'm more thankful that you guys got off so easily. I was afraid they might put you all on trial as accomplices to my 'crime.'"_

_That brought a scornful frown on her face. "You really need to stop worrying about others and start thinking about yourself for once, Shepard." A flutter and a small tug at my heart when my name rolled off her tongue. How she does this to me just by saying my name, I'll never know. "We're all worried about you, you know. And we're all very much pissed at the Alliance as well."_

"_Don't be too hard on them." I replied laughing._

"_I know. I guess they're scared and all but..." There was a pause and I could see Kelly deflate as a depressed frown overtook her features. "I just..." A bite of her lips. "I just hope they would listen to you. About the Reapers and everything, you know? I don't know how they could be so blind to the issue when it's looming over their faces like a billboard. The Reapers are so powerful and if we don't prepare now we'll... We'll all..." Kelly trailed off, the fear and exhaustion distinct on her face, prompting me to move to comfort her._

"_Hey, don't worry." I coddled her softly, "The information we gathered over the last nine months are solid proof of the Reaper threat. Even the Council will have to acknowledge what sort of crisis the galaxy is in for."_

"_But they're so arduous about it! They denied the Reaper's existence even after they were almost blown to bits by one. Sovereign, a living Reaper, was literally right outside their windows and they still managed to turn their heads!"_

"_I'll talk them into it eventually. You know how persistent I can be. I'll make sure they rip their own hair, mandibles, horns, or whatever out before they finally believe what I say."_

_For a moment Kelly seemed reluctant, watching me with eyes ridden with doubts and fear. But eventually it all came down and she softened up, giggling softly as she stepped towards me until she was in my arms, leaning her head on my shoulder. "I'm sure you'll drive them all nuts, Shepard."_

_I let a painfully conked out laugh, my heart quivering at the contact. With a shaky breath I awkwardly wrapped my arms around her properly, and immediately my whole body seemed to explode with something. With pleasure, pain, spreading, infecting every branch of my nerves until I felt like I was burning, freezing. It was unlike anything I've felt before, not even with Liara, and I wanted more. I wanted to be with her, to have her forever in my arms, in my life. _

_Oh god, I was... _

_But... _

_No. _

_Now wasn't the time, no matter how much I wanted it. I had to pull away. _

_With great trepidation I slid away from her, my hands lingering on her arms as long as they could, desperately lapping up what contact they could manage. When we had enough distance between us Kelly gave me her usual bright smile and I gave her one back in return. I wanted to say something, but the air had tightened up. It was difficult to breathe, let alone speak. _

"_We should go." I finally muttered out after a minute, then instantly regretted it, realizing I had just cut away our time together short._

_To my dismay Kelly gave a small nod and moved to open up the Decontamination Chamber. With a light wave of hand the door slid open. The chamber was one part of the Normandy that had yet had its lights dimmed and I was forced to look away as the blinding white light flooded my vision. After a moment, when my eyes had somewhat adjusted, I turned back and saw Kelly, who had yet to enter the chamber, looking at me with a serene smile. The white light behind her had failed to darken her features in comparison, and instead had somehow brightened it, making her appear as an angel in my eyes._

_We gazed into each other's eyes for the longest time before I finally began towards the brightly lit room. We stepped inside at the same time. As we stood inside the chamber, as the cleansing agent was sprayed in loud, harsh vapors, I felt a tug on my arms. When I looked I saw Kelly beckoning me closer. _

_Beckoning my face closer. To hers. _

_I stood still, somewhat dumbfound at her request, until she took the matter into her own hands by gripping both my shoulders and pulling me closer. _

_Closer._

_Closer. _

_And closer still. _

_Until her mouth was by my ear where she whispered to me softly-_

* * *

"Shepard!"

"Huh?"

The voice jolted me out of my thoughts, my memories suddenly burning away from my vision like an ancient film. I found myself back in the dance studio; a part of the 'accommodation' the Alliance provided me with for the past six months. The shining redhead before me was gone, replaced by the lackluster surface of the steel bar I was currently hand-standing on. Pushing my emotions aside, I jumped off to the side, my bare feet softly kissing the ground as I landed with trained grace.

The studio was empty, just as it has been every single day for the past three months I've been visiting. Even if I didn't stay here 24 hours a day, the minefield of grimy mucks blanketing the varnished wooden floor and the walls of mirror were a good indication that I was probably the only one who ever made use of the damn place. Grabbing my clean towel from the edge of the bar, I wiped the flood of sweat cascading down my face as I made my way towards the door where the voice came from. Finding none other than Anderson there, I gave him a mock salute and a smile.

"Anderson." It was a short greeting but it was all that was needed between old friends like us.

"Good to see you." Anderson chuckled, his rigid military posture giving way to friendly demeanor. "I see you're doing well." I let out a small groan just loud enough for him to hear.

"Please, I only look like it." Now standing before him, I dabbed at the rest of the sweats on my neck. "I'm so restless here, Anderson. I'm just lounging about all day."

"Yes, I can tell. You _are _getting a bit soft around the edges." He said giving twice light pats on my toned stomach hidden beneath my black tank top.

Surprised by the sudden action I gave a light chuckle.

Then I realized what he'd just said and raised a confused brow at him. "Wait, did you just call me fat?"

Anderson chuckled again but quickly changed the subject before I got another word in. "You've become quite the acrobat." He gave an impressed nod to the handstand bar. "I saw you there standing upside down for the past five minutes."

I hid my surprise with the best of my ability. I must have been in pretty deep with my daydreaming if I didn't notice an audience for so long. I scratched my head nervously. "Oh, thanks. I try and see how long I can last on my hands every day. It's just uhh... this thing I do. You know?"

"Still thinking about your girl?"

My expression went wide eyed before becoming resigned. "Is it that obvious?"

The expression on Anderson's face was all I needed to see. Had it been anyone else I would have denied the claim vehemently, but for now I merely hung my head in silence, feeling defeated.

Anderson gave me a sympathetic look. "I'm sorry Shepard. I know how much she means to you." He consoled me gently, though it failed to lighten my mood any. I chuckled bitterly.

It was funny, really. Despite the Alliance's boasts about how they had every crew member of the Normandy SR-2 under heavy surveillance, it was only a week before they lost track of half of them, Kelly included. I didn't take the news as well as I should have, which tipped Anderson off of my feeling towards the redhead.

I was lucky too, had it been any other person they would have reported me for getting involved with an 'enemy' and Kelly probably would have been arrested again. I'd feel so guilty if that ever happened to her. I kept quiet about my feelings, but it didn't stop me from thinking about her a thousand times a day.

"I guess you don't have any news on her today either?" I said offhandedly, trying not to sound as hopeful as I felt on the inside.

"No."

"God damn it." I threw my towel frustratingly into the laundry bin next to me. "It's been four months since they lost her. How hard is it to find one civilian who probably isn't even trying to hide?"

"The Alliance isn't willing to use their resources tracking down any of your old crew anymore. Especially now since they've got Cerberus to deal with after you've handed them the Collectors base."

My brows furrowed as I felt a sudden surge of anger rising. "Hey, tens of thousands of people died to those bastards and I wasn't about to let their death go to waste by throwing away one of the biggest leverage we could have against the Reapers!"

"I know that Shepard. I'm not going to judge you on the morality of your choices but I know you did it with good intentions. But that isn't going to change the fact that the Alliance has its priorities jumbled up. And as much as I hate to tell you, even with their priorities straightened, finding your old crew will be at the lowest in the list, if not at all. You should know this even without me telling you." Anderson's words struck me like a newspaper roll to a bad puppy, and it left me I feeling like one. It was amazed me how he could scold me like this without even raising his voice. He was probably better at it then my own parents.

"Look, I... I'm sorry, Anderson. I just..." I stammered awkwardly, trying to get the words out my mouth. "I'm just so frustrated being here. I can't do anything anymore. I can't even talk to Joker or even my mom when I want to, and she's an Alliance Captain for god's sake."

"I know, Shepard, and I'm sorry. I wish I could be more of a help."

"No," I shook my head. "You've done more than enough for me. I wouldn't know how to thank you if you did any more."

There was a moment of uncomfortable silence as in my mind I beat myself over and over for being such a prick. But even as I tried to speak out, Anderson caught my words right in my throat with a soft smile.

"I got something for you today."

He leaned down and pulled out a long box from behind the wall next to him, and handed it over in the gentlest fashion that made him look as though he was handling a priceless work of art. I received in no different manner of course, my eyes brightening up at the sight. The package itself didn't appear any special: It was a long white box, around 20 inches in length, 4 inches across, no wrapping, no ribbon, no tapes, no bindings at all actually. But if there was one feature to be noted, it had to be its weight. The box was lighter than feather, making me want to throw it up in the air just to prove it was so. Thankfully I knew better not to.

"Is this what I think it is?" I didn't think I could hide the excitement in my voice, and I was right, I couldn't.

"Mmhmm." Anderson nodded with a toothless smirk. "Special order. One of the best the Alliance has to offer."

I did not wait a single more second before I wailed down on the package's wrapping. After several rips and flakes of colorless confetti later I was in awe at what I saw. It was a blade, a modified version of the Japanese ninjato: Guard-less with the handle modified to support armored hands. But the most important feature was the blade. The honed blade weren't as sharp as they were... Cutting. Yes, cutting would be the word. A blade with its own urge to cut, to slice everything in its path. Even as I held it still, I felt the blade vibrate, as though it was cleaving the air blowing onto it in two. It was as though the blade was alive. The blue glow of the blade left an eerie sensation on to those who gazed upon it, and I felt the hair on my skin stand up with sudden primal fear. As well as anticipation.

"The Monomolecular Blade." Anderson spoke with obvious appreciation of the work. "The boys tell me those things can slice sound in half. I don't think they even know what that means."

"I think I do." I said, still very much in admiration at the weapon in my hand. I turned a questioning eye at him, the smile on my face not going away. "How did you get me this? I thought I was banned?"

"You _were_. You wouldn't believe how many time I had to punch Udina in the face to get you that. I swear the slimy bastard's face is getting harder by the day." We both laughed loudly at the joke, though I did somewhat feel sorry for Udina.

Not that much, though.

"Thank you so much, Anderson." I said in a hushed voice, not knowing how to convey the level of gratitude I was feeling.

"Don't mention it. At least now I don't have to hear James whine about how you wouldn't shut up about the damn thing."

"Hey, I'm not that bad." Actually I was. I had been torturing James by telling him how amazing the monomolecular blade was every time we met from the day it was produced.

"Any who. I better get going." Anderson said as the laughter died down.

I raised a brow at the news. "So soon? Grab lunch with me. Or at least a cup of tea."

"Mmm, I could murder a tea right now." Anderson shook his head. "But no. Thanks for the offer Shepard, but I'm stepping down as the Councilor now. The papers are just piling up on my desk simply for the transfer. And then I got another pile to complete if I'm to become an Admiral."

"The Alliance loves their paperwork." I nodded in understanding.

"And don't I know it." He remarked jokingly before turning serious once more. "Listen, Shepard." He began in low voice. "I know you're worried and I know you want to be with your girl more than anything, but try to keep yourself calm. I've been using some of my resources to find your old crew. It's a slow operation but it's the best I can do for now. So stay focused! The Reapers, you know they are coming even as we speak. Continue with your training. You're one hell of a soldier, and we'll need you when the time comes."

"I... I don't know what to say, Anderson. I... Thank you. I won't let you down."

"Don't say I never did you any favors."

With that Anderson waved goodbye, walking away into the mess of crowd through the hall way. Alone once more, I looked at the blade in my hand and gave a light swing, excited to test out its capabilities, keeping my mind off of a particular redhead.

Giving another graceful swing I turned to the body sized mirror on the wall. Then I frowned and looked down at my abs, giving it a light feel and a squeeze.

"I am _so_ not fat."

* * *

"Dr T'soni, if I could have moment?"

Liara looked up from the piece of prothean artifact, taking off her protective glasses that allowed her to observe the glowing lines common on prothean relics without straining her eyes. Once she looked up she found herself staring at pair of attractive women, one blonde and one brunette, standing next to the facility's head researcher. As the blonde woman's green eyes met with her deep blue, Liara couldn't help but get a feeling she had met her before.

"How are you, Dr Moharv?" The asari greeted the head researcher.

"Doing fine. I was just showing these two ladies around the facility. Let me introduce you to them." The man gestured to the blonde woman. "This is Dr Felicia Hannigan, the facility's new psychiatrist. And this," He turned to the brunette. "is Dr Eva Core. A new researchers who gracefully volunteered to help with our work. Dr Hannigan, Dr Core, this is Dr-"

"-Liara T'soni." Dr Hannigan finished with an excited smile offering her hand in greeting. "I cannot say what an honor it is to finally meet you ma'am. I'm a big fan of your work."

Liara took the hand and shook it, pleasantly shocked at the woman's enthusiasm. She then turned to shake the brunette's hand.

"Dr T'soni. I look forward to working with you." Dr Core nodded, her soft voice flowing out like a beautiful melody.

A shudder.

Liara frowned at the odd sensation that engulfed her the moment her hand came in contact with Dr Core's. She searched on the woman's face, seeing if she could figure out why, but all she saw in the end was just another friendly face.

Shaking the feeling off, she smiled at them both.

"It's nice to meet you two. Welcome to the Archive."

The two women smiled back, and the asari felt another shudder going down her spine. For a moment Liara thought she saw a menacing gleam on the two women's eyes, and their friendly smile widening up into an amused grin. But the thought went as quick as it came, and again the asari merely shook it off as her strained mind playing tricks on her.

The introduction over, Dr Moharv took the two women away, continuing on with their tour and Liara went back to her work. However as soon as she picked up her tools, she placed them down. With a small sigh, she quickly packed up her work and headed for her bed chamber, wishing to give herself some rest, if not to get rid of this prickly sense unease that settled onto her.

As she walked out her office and down the hallway, Liara never saw the two pair of cold eyes studying her retreating form, nor the disturbing grin that accompanied them.

* * *

**A/N: I was tried to make this chapter as interesting as possible but I felt as though I rambled on with exposition. :/**

**But you will have to be the judge of that. So please Review or PM me about what you thought of it! And follow or fav if you enjoyed as well ;)**


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